Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid – 462 hp plug-in hybrid

The highlight of the Porsche stand at the 2016 Paris Motor Show will be the plug-in Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid. The petrol-electric version of Zuffenhausen’s second-generation sedan brings forth more power and performance over its Panamera S E-Hybrid predecessor, yet is also more efficient.

As the name suggests, the new E-Hybrid adds all-wheel drive, and despite no longer carrying ‘S’ badging, performance metrics have actually increased. The new 2.9 litre V6 ditches the old supercharger for twin turbos, and while power is down by a negligible 3 hp at 330 hp, there’s now an extra 10 Nm at 450 Nm.

Coupled to that is a more powerful electric motor that produces 136 hp (+41 hp) and 400 Nm (+90 Nm), bringing total system output to 462 hp at 6,000 rpm and a whole 700 Nm of torque between 1,100 and 4,500 rpm – 46 hp and 111 Nm more than the previous E-Hybrid. Unlike the old car’s eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission, the new E-Hybrid makes use of a eight-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission.

With the extra power and the increased traction from the four-wheel drive system, the new car blows the old one into the weeds in terms of outright speed. Zero to 100 km/h is accomplished nearly a second quicker at 4.6 seconds, while the top speed is slightly higher at 278 km/h versus 270 km/h.

It sips less fuel too – combined fuel consumption is significantly improved over the old car’s 3.1 litres per 100 km rating, now sitting at 2.5 litres per 100 km. A larger 14.1 kWh battery (weighing the same as the old 9.4 kWh unit) means that the all-electric range has also been bumped up from 36 km to 50 km, with the maximum achievable speed in zero-emissions mode is now 140 km/h instead of 135 km/h.

There are other improvements made to the car’s performance. Whereas the driver previously needed to push the throttle beyond 80% in hybrid mode to access the electric motor’s additional performance, here all 136 hp of the motor is available at all times. The engine decoupler is also quicker to respond as it uses an electric clutch actuator (ECA) instead of an electro-hydraulic system.

A Sport Chrono Package is fitted as standard here, and includes a mode switch on the steering wheel. Aside from the familiar Sport and Sport Plus driving modes, the car also gets unique E-Power, Hybrid Auto, E-Hold and E-Charge modes. As with the outgoing model, the full-electric E-Power is the default mode at startup, but the Hybrid Auto is new and manages both power sources automatically for ultimate efficiency.

As the name suggests, E-Hold preserves electric charge for later use, while E-Charge uses the V6 to top up the battery – the engine produces more power than is actually necessary for driving in this mode. Higher performance can be had in the Sport and Sport Plus modes, but while Sport maintains a minimum level of battery charge to ensure a sufficient amount of electric boost in reserve, it’s all out in Sport mode.

Charging the battery takes 5.8 hours through a 230 V, 10 A household outlet and the standard 3.6 kW charger; an optional 7.2 kW charger cuts the time down to 3.6 hours via a 230 V, 32 A connection. Owners can manage the charging start times using the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) infotainment system, or a Porsche Car Connect app, available on smartphones and the Apple Watch.

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